People who bought this also bought...

The Thread

Thessaloniki, 1917. As Dimitri Komninos is born, a devastating fire sweeps through the thriving Greek city where Christians, Jews and Muslims live side by side. Five years later, Katerina Sarafoglou's home in Asia Minor is destroyed by the Turkish army. Losing her mother in the chaos, she flees across the sea to an unknown destination in Greece. Soon her life will become entwined with Dimitri's, and with the story of the city itself, as war, fear and persecution begin to divide its people.

The Island

Winner of the British Book Awards, Newcomer of the Year, 2007.Shortlisted for the British Book Awards, Book of the Year, 2007.Alexis Fielding longs to find out about her mother's past, but Sofia has never spoken of it. She only admits to growing up in a small Cretan village before moving to London.

The Sunrise

In the summer of 1972, Famagusta, in Cyprus, is the most desirable resort in the Mediterranean, a city bathed in the glow of good fortune. An ambitious couple open the island's most spectacular hotel, where Greek and Turkish Cypriots work in harmony. Two neighbouring families, the Georgious and the Özkans, are among many who moved to Famagusta to escape the years of unrest and ethnic violence elsewhere on the island. But beneath the city's façade of glamour and success, tension is building.

Cartes Postales from Greece

Week after week the postcards arrive, addressed to a name Ellie does not know, with no return address, each signed with an initial: A. With their bright skies, blue seas and alluring images of Greece, these cartes postales brighten her life. After six months, to her disappointment, they cease. But the montage she has created on the wall of her flat has cast a spell. She must see this country for herself.

In 10 powerful stories, Victoria Hislop takes us through the streets of Athens and into the tree-lined squares of Greek villages. As she evokes their distinct atmosphere, she brings vividly to life a host of unforgettable characters, from a lonesome priest to battling brothers, and from an unwanted stranger to a groom troubled by music and memory. These bittersweet tales of love and loyalty, of separation and reconciliation, captured in Victoria Hislop's unique voice, will stay with you long after you reach the end. Three of these stories appeared previously published in Victoria Hislop's collection, One Cretan Evening.

The Seven Sisters

Maia D'Apliése and her five sisters were all adopted as babies. When their father dies each of them are given a clue to their true heritage - a clue which takes Maia across the world... Rio de Janeiro, 1927, Izabela Bonifacio convinces her father to allow her to accompany him to Europe. There, in the heady, vibrant cafés of Montparnasse, she meets ambitious young sculptor Laurent Brouilly, and knows at once that her life will never be the same again...

The Silk Merchant's Daughter

From the number-one best-selling author of The Tea Planter's Wife. Penguin presents the unabridged, downloadable audiobook edition of The Silk Merchant's Daughter by Dinah Jefferies, read by Eliza Parkes. Dinah Jefferies' stunning new novel is a gripping, unforgettable tale of a woman torn between two worlds.... French Indochina, 1952. Since her mother's death, 18-year-old half-French, half-Vietnamese Nicole has been living in the shadow of her beautiful older sister, Sylvie.

The Saffron Trail

Once there was a girl who loved saffron. She loved its secrets and its mystery, and best of all she loved its hint of magic. After the death of her beloved mother, Nell travels from rural Cornwall to the colour and chaos of Marrakech. Her marriage may be on the rocks, but exploring the heady delights of Moroccan cuisine could help her fulfil her dream of opening her own restaurant. It's there she meets Amy - a young photographer trying to unravel the story behind her family's involvement in the Vietnam War.

The Olive Tree

It has been 24 years since a young Helena spent a magical holiday in Cyprus, where she fell in love for the first time. When the now crumbling house, Pandora, is left to her by her godfather, she returns to spend the summer there with her family. At the difficult age of 13, her son, Alex, is torn between protecting his mother and learning the truth about his real father. Both Helena and Alex know that life will never be the same once Pandora's secrets have been revealed.

Julian Fellowes's Belgravia

Julian Fellowes's Belgravia is the story of a secret. A secret that unravels behind the porticoed doors of London's grandest postcode. Set in the 1840s, when the upper echelons of society began to rub shoulders with the emerging industrial nouveau riche, Belgravia is peopled by a rich cast of characters. But the story begins on the eve of the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. At the Duchess of Richmond's now legendary ball, one family's life will change forever.

Songs of Love and War

West Cork, Ireland, 1900. The year marks the start of a new century and the birth of three very different women: Kitty Deverill, the flame-haired Anglo-Irish daughter of the castle; Bridie Doyle, the daughter of the Irish cook; and Celia Deverill, Kitty's flamboyant English cousin. Together they grow up in the dreamy grounds of the family's grand estate, Castle Deverill. Yet their peaceful way of life will soon be threatened by Ireland's struggle for independence.

The Kashmir Shawl

1939: Nerys Watkins leaves rural Wales to accompany her husband on a missionary posting to India. Travelling from lonely Ladakh, high in the Himalayas, Nerys discovers a new world in the city of Srinagar. Here, in the exquisite heart of Kashmir, the British live on carved wooden houseboats and dance, flirt and gossip as if there is no war. But the battles draw ever closer.

The Letter

The Number One Kindle best seller guaranteed to break your heart. Every so often a love story comes along to remind us that sometimes, in our darkest hour, hope shines a candle to light our way. Discover the Number One best seller that has captured thousands of hearts worldwide.... Tina Craig longs to escape her violent husband. She works all the hours God sends to save up enough money to leave him, also volunteering in a charity shop to avoid her unhappy home.

The Girl with No Name

Thirteen-year-old Lisa escapes from Nazi Germany on the Kindertransport and arrives in England in August 1939. She can't speak a word of English, and among her meagre belongings is one precious photograph of her family. But when the Blitz blows her new home apart, she wakes up in hospital with no memory of who she is. The authorities give her a new name and despatch her to a children's home. With the war in full swing, what will become of Lisa now?

Late Summer in the Vineyard

Working for a winemaker in France is the opportunity of a lifetime for Emmy. Even if she doesn't know a thing about wine beyond what's on offer at the local supermarket. There's plenty to get to grips with in the rustic town of Petit Frère. Emmy's new work friends need more than a little winning over. Then there's her infuriatingly brash tutor, Isaac, and the enigmatic Madame Beaumont tucked away in her vineyard of secrets. But Emmy will soon realise that in life - just as in winemaking - the best things happen when you let go and trust your instincts.

The Girl on the Cliff

Troubled by recent loss, Grania Ryan has returned to Ireland and the arms of her loving family. It is here, on a cliff edge, that she first meets a young girl, Aurora. Strangely drawn to Aurora, Grania discovers that their families are deeply entwined. From a bittersweet romance in wartime London to a troubled relationship in contemporary New York, the Ryans and the Lisles have been entangled for a century.

The Tea Planter's Wife

Penguin presents the unabridged, downloadable, audiobook edition of The Tea Planter's Wife by Dinah Jefferies, read by Avita Jay. Nineteen-year-old Gwendolyn Hooper is newly married to a rich and charming widower, eager to join him on his tea plantation, determined to be the perfect wife and mother. But life in Ceylon is not what Gwen expected.

The Secret Wife

The stories of two very different women, linked by the secrets and lies of history, merge together as past and present weave together in this stunning story of love, loss and resilience. 2016. Kitty, fleeing from a devastating revelation in her own life, finds herself at her great-grandfather's cabin in Lake Akanabee. There she discovers a gorgeous necklace, which leads her uncover to long-buried family secret. 1914. Tatiana, Grand Princess of Russia, falls in love with Dmitri, a Russian solider, as she nurses him back to health.

Tripster says:"Laura Kirman is a terrible reader & has let the author down"

The Muse

On a hot July day in 1967, Odelle Bastien climbs the stone steps of the Skelton gallery in London, knowing that her life is about to change forever. Having struggled to find her place in the city since she arrived from Trinidad five years ago, she has been offered a job as a typist under the tutelage of the glamorous and enigmatic Marjorie Quick. Although Quick takes Odelle into her confidence and unlocks a potential she didn't know she had, she remains a mystery - no more so than when a lost masterpiece with a secret history is delivered to the gallery.

The Peacock Emporium

The only place Suzanna Peacock finds comfort is her shop, which provides a haven for the misfits in town. But she is forced to confront events of the past and her family that have been haunting her for so long. And she discovers that the key to her happiness may have been in front of her all along....

Amy Snow

Winner of the 2014 Richard & Judy Search for a Bestseller competition. Abandoned on a bank of snow as a baby, Amy is taken in at nearby Hatville Court. But the masters and servants of the grand estate prove cold and unwelcoming. Amy's only friend and ally is the sparkling young heiress Aurelia Vennaway. So when Aurelia tragically dies young, Amy is devastated. But Aurelia leaves Amy one last gift. A bundle of letters with a coded key. A treasure hunt that only Amy can follow. A life-changing discovery awaits ... if only she can unlock the secret.

The Secret: The Number One Best-Selling Author of The Letter

It's the long, hot summer of 1976, and the regulars of The Taverners pub in Manchester are preparing for a day trip to Blackpool. But after a horrific coach crash, not all of the day-trippers make it home. Forty years later, and the consequences of that fateful day are still being felt by the families. But what if not all was as it seemed on that stretch of motorway, and someone has been hiding a devastating secret?

Three Sisters, Three Queens

When Katherine of Aragon is brought to the Tudor court as a young bride, the oldest princess, Margaret, takes her measure. With one look each knows the other for a rival, an ally, a pawn, destined - with Margaret's younger sister, Mary - to a sisterhood unique in all the world. The three sisters will become the queens of England, Scotland, and France.

The Light Between Oceans

The crying persisted. The door of the lighthouse clanged in the distance, and Tom's tall frame appeared on the gallery as he scanned the island with the binoculars. 'Izzy!' he yelled, 'a boat!' He vanished and re-emerged at ground level. 'It's a boat all right,' Tom declared. 'And - oh cripes! There's a bloke, but -' The figure was motionless, yet the cries still rang out. He hoisted out a woollen bundle: a woman's soft lavender cardigan wrapped around a tiny, screaming infant.

Publisher's Summary

An atmospheric, vibrant and moving tale of pain and passion at the heart of war-torn Spain, from Victoria Hislop, the million-copy best-selling author of The Island and The Thread.

Beneath the majestic towers of the Alhambra, Granada's cobbled streets resonate with music and secrets. Sonia Cameron knows nothing of the city's shocking past; she is here to dance. But in a quiet café, a chance conversation and an intriguing collection of old photographs draw her into the extraordinary tale of Spain's devastating civil war.

Seventy years earlier, the café is home to the close-knit Ramírez family. In 1936, an army coup led by Franco shatters the country's fragile peace, and in the heart of Granada the family witnesses the worst atrocities of conflict. Divided by politics and tragedy, everyone must take a side, fighting a personal battle as Spain rips itself apart.

What the Critics Say

"Aims to open the eyes, and tug the heartstrings, of readers... Hislop deserves a medal for opening a breach into the holiday beach bag." (Independent)

"Like a literary Nigella, she whips up a cracking historical romance with a dash of family secrets and a splash of female self-discovery." (Time Out)

"Powerful stuff." (Daily Mail)

"Hislop somehow manages to capture the chaos and disintegration of Spain during the violence of the '30s and '40s in a dramatic, immediate way...keeps you reading at breakneck speed right to the end." (Sunday Express)

What sentimental, unrealistic drivel this book is. It is childishly written - adverbs and adjectives are not essential for every single verb and noun! Clichés abound, and the device of putting words, feelings and events into the old man's narrative is asking too much of me, anyway. The true story of the Spanish civil war needs to be told, but not like this. The reader has a lovely voice but she cannot help hamming this up and the Spanish accent is both unnecessary and inappropriately funny.

I loved this book, even though I found the love story bit just a little bit far fetched. I learned so much about the spanish civil war which I knew little about and found this really interested. Its a tragic love story but still manages to leave you feeling very satisfied. Overall I would say if you like Hislop's books then read this one.

This is not the sort of thing I usually listen to. It was to graphic for me but they it was I assume based on true stories. The subject was interesting as I knew nothing about the Spanish civil war .I enjoyed The island by Victoria Hislop more

This is the second book by Victoria Hislop that I have read. I really enjoyed the story and how it developed and the history aspects of the Spanish Civil War. The characters were well rounded and interesting and I felt the narrative by Jane Wymark really was fab and made the story so much more interesting. It was very sad in parts but I would highly recommend it.

This was the first Victoria Hislop book I have listened/read and like other reviewers I found the information on the Spanish Civil War incredibly interesting as this conflict is something I feel I know too little about. The characters are wonderfully drawn and whilst being fairly hard nosed I am still a girl who likes to think true love exists. I saw the end of the plot very early on but that didn't spoil the listen. This is a female read but a worthwhile one.

Probably. I enjoyed the writing and the descriptions of the Spanish Civil War. The contemporary story is less strong, and honestly somewhat unnecessary, but it's still a well-written book, so I will probably listen again

Have you listened to any of Jane Wymark’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I haven't yet, but I will dig some of them up!

Who was the most memorable character of The Return and why?

I would have to say mercedes, growing up and coming of age in such a difficult time in history.

Any additional comments?

Well-done! With the inclusion of some coincidences, I can't give this book 5 stars, but it is still a good read. I will read more from this author and narrator.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Report Inappropriate Content

If you find this review inappropriate and think it should be removed from our site, let us know. This report will be reviewed by Audible and we will take appropriate action.